How To Override Inputs

01Quick Start

Try it first in the RCC_Blank_OverrideInputs demo scene: click Enable Override, move the sliders, click Disable Override. See Demo Scenes.

Figure 01Open full size ↗

In your own script:

1. Create one RCC_Inputs and keep it in a field: RCC_Inputs myInputs = new RCC_Inputs();
2. Take control: vehicle.OverrideInputs(myInputs);
3. Change the values whenever you like: myInputs.throttleInput = 1f;
4. Give control back to the player: vehicle.DisableOverrideInputs();

OverrideInputs stores a reference to your object, so changing myInputs is enough. You don't have to call OverrideInputs again each frame.

02The Methods

All methods are on RCC_CarControllerV4.

Warning: DisableOverrideInputs(false) turns External Controller on. The vehicle then ignores both the player and your inputs, and keeps its last throttle, brake and steering values.

Changed in V6: OverrideInputs(newInputs, true) now drives the vehicle. Before V6, turning External Controller on made the vehicle ignore the inputs you passed.

Figure 02Open full size ↗

The Inputs section of the vehicle inspector shows the same three switches: Can Control, External Controller and Override Inputs.

Figure 03Open full size ↗

03Who Drives the Vehicle

Figure 04Open full size ↗

Priority, from highest to lowest:

1. Can Control off. Nothing drives the vehicle.
2. External Controller (AI, replay, network). A plain OverrideInputs(myInputs) is ignored while it is on.
3. OverrideInputs(myInputs, true). It wins over the External Controller flag it turned on itself. If AI or replay then call SetExternalControl(true), they take over.
4. OverrideInputs(myInputs).
5. Player input.

Notes:

• RCC_AICarController and replay do not use OverrideInputs. They use External Controller and write the vehicle's inputs directly.
• When External Controller is on at Awake, the engine starts on its own, whatever Run Engine At Awake is set to.

Changed in V6: registering a new player vehicle (RCC.RegisterPlayerVehicle) turns Can Control off on the previous player vehicle. It skips a vehicle that uses External Controller or Override Inputs, so a car you are driving by script keeps driving.

04RCC_Inputs Fields

The engine must be running: while it is off, throttle is forced to 0. Start it with StartEngine(), or StartEngine(true) to skip the starter sound.

05Full Example: Drive to a Target

Add this script to any GameObject. Assign Vehicle and Target, then press Play. The car drives to the target and stops there. Call GiveControlBack() to return it to the player.

using UnityEngine;

public class MyDriveToTarget : MonoBehaviour {

    [Tooltip("The RCC vehicle to drive.")]
    public RCC_CarControllerV4 vehicle;

    [Tooltip("The point the vehicle drives to.")]
    public Transform target;

    [Tooltip("Cruise speed in km/h.")]
    public float cruiseSpeed = 50f;

    [Tooltip("The vehicle stops within this distance (meters) of the target.")]
    public float stopDistance = 8f;

    // One instance, reused every frame. The vehicle keeps a reference to it.
    private readonly RCC_Inputs myInputs = new RCC_Inputs();

    private bool driving;

    private void Start() {

        TakeControl();

    }

    public void TakeControl() {

        if (!vehicle)
            return;

        if (!vehicle.engineRunning)
            vehicle.StartEngine(true);

        vehicle.OverrideInputs(myInputs);
        driving = true;

    }

    public void GiveControlBack() {

        driving = false;

        if (vehicle)
            vehicle.DisableOverrideInputs();

    }

    private void OnDisable() {

        if (driving)
            GiveControlBack();

    }

    private void Update() {

        if (!driving || !vehicle || !target)
            return;

        Vector3 localTarget = vehicle.transform.InverseTransformPoint(target.position);
        float distance = localTarget.magnitude;

        myInputs.steerInput = Mathf.Clamp(localTarget.x / Mathf.Max(distance, 0.01f) * 2f, -1f, 1f);

        if (distance < stopDistance) {

            myInputs.throttleInput = 0f;
            myInputs.brakeInput = 0f;
            myInputs.handbrakeInput = 1f;

        } else if (vehicle.speed < cruiseSpeed) {

            myInputs.throttleInput = 1f;
            myInputs.brakeInput = 0f;
            myInputs.handbrakeInput = 0f;

        } else {

            myInputs.throttleInput = 0f;
            myInputs.brakeInput = 0.3f;
            myInputs.handbrakeInput = 0f;

        }

    }

}

vehicle.speed is always in km/h.

To also stop player button actions (lights, gears, engine) from reaching the car, use vehicle.OverrideInputs(myInputs, true) in TakeControl and vehicle.DisableOverrideInputs(true) in GiveControlBack.

06Mixing With Player Input

To assist the player instead of replacing them, copy the player's values from RCC_InputManager.Instance.inputs into your own object and change what you need. For example, in Update:

RCC_Inputs player = RCC_InputManager.Instance.inputs;

myInputs.throttleInput = player.throttleInput;
myInputs.brakeInput = player.brakeInput;
myInputs.handbrakeInput = player.handbrakeInput;
myInputs.steerInput = Mathf.Lerp(player.steerInput, assistSteer, 0.3f); // assistSteer: your own -1..1 value

Never write into RCC_InputManager.Instance.inputs. Every player-driven vehicle reads from it.

07Taking Over an AI Car

A plain override is ignored while RCC_AICarController drives. Disable the AI first. Disabling it turns External Controller off.

aiController.enabled = false;           // AI lets go
vehicle.OverrideInputs(myInputs);       // you drive

vehicle.DisableOverrideInputs();        // stop overriding
aiController.enabled = true;            // AI drives again

08Common Mistakes

• Only setting overrideInputs = true, or ticking Override Inputs in the inspector. The vehicle still reads the Input Manager's inputs and follows the player. Call OverrideInputs(myInputs).
• Creating new RCC_Inputs() every frame. It works, but it allocates memory every frame. Keep one instance and change its values.
• Writing into vehicle.inputs. When the vehicle isn't overridden, that is the Input Manager's shared object.
• Calling a plain OverrideInputs on an AI car or during replay. It is ignored. See Taking Over an AI Car.
• Mixing the one- and two-argument versions. After OverrideInputs(x, true), a later plain OverrideInputs(x) or DisableOverrideInputs() leaves External Controller on, and the car freezes on its last inputs. Keep using the two-argument version, and release with DisableOverrideInputs(true).
• Calling DisableOverrideInputs(false). It turns External Controller on (see the warning above).
• Calling DisableOverrideInputs(true) on an AI car. It turns External Controller off while the AI is still writing inputs, so the AI and the player fight over the car. Use DisableOverrideInputs() there.
• Can Control is off. Overrides are ignored. Call SetCanControl(true).
• Engine is off. Throttle stays at 0. Call StartEngine().
• Releasing a car that is no longer the player vehicle. After DisableOverrideInputs() it follows player input again, because Can Control is still on. Call SetCanControl(false) as well.
• Expecting gearInput, orbitX, orbitY or scroll to do something. RCC doesn't read them. Use GearShiftTo(int) for gears.
• Holding brakeInput at 1 to stop with Automatic Gearbox on. The car shifts into reverse and backs up. Use handbrakeInput.

09See Also

• Input System: the normal player input pipeline and bindings
• AI System: the built-in AI driver
• Scripting API: RCC.RegisterPlayerVehicle, RCC.SetControl and more
• Addon Packages: Photon PUN 2 networked vehicles
• Demo Scenes: RCC_Blank_OverrideInputs